Vacuum shaver

ABSTRACT

An instrument especially designed for providing space men with means for shaving. The apparatus provides for the control and collection of the cut whisker particles produced when shaving in a satellite environment. The shaver features a vacuum-driven motor which drives a rotary head. The cutting head has a vacuum cavity which draws the cut whisker particles and collects them in a cavity containing a filter.

United States Patent Glenn C. Ainsworth 4526 Brookwood. NE, Albuquerque, N. Mex. 87109 [21] AppLNo. 752,228

[22] Filed Aug. 13,1968

[45] Patented Mar. 23, 1971 [72] Inventor 54 VACUUM SHAVER 1 1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figs.

52 US. Cl 30/415 {51% Int. Cl. B26b 19/44 [50] Field of Search 30/415,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,916,821 12/1959 Witmer 30/41.5

FOREIGN PATENTS 989,003 5/ 1951 France 30/415 Primary Examiner-Othell M. Simpson Attorneys-Harry A. Herbert, Jr. and Ruth G. Codier 3 ABSTRACT: An instrument especially designed for providing space men with means for shaving. The apparatus provides for the control 7 and collection of the cut whisker particles produced when shaving in a satellite environment. The shaver features a vacuumdriven motor which drives a rotary head.

The cutting head has a vacuum cavity which draws the cut whisker particles and collects them in a cavity containing a filter.

' f'PATENTEn mas-1911.

- v 3.571.926 same or 2 sperm C.AINSWORTH I :monnzvs retained. I v

VACUUM sI AvER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention'relates to instruments usableby. space flyers in a spacecraft, and"more particularly to a device which shaves, controls and collects the cutwhisker particles. Heretofore, the airman has not been allowed to shave because of the hazards of escaped whisker particles into the atmosphere of the spacecraft cabinand the consequent-damage to instrumentation and to health of the crewman.

1 SUMMARY o rIIE'INvENnoN; l l The object of the present-invention .is the provision of a device which makes it possible for airmen in spaceflight to perform the routine matter of shaving without incurring the hazards of whisker particles floatingabout in the spacecraft cabin, with the attendanthazard to, health of the men and interference and'damag'e tothe cabin instrumentation.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device which maintains the morale, personal hygiene and enhances the well-being of the 'spacecraft'icrew who. have heretofore not been allowed to perform the usual routine matter of shaving.

A still further object of the invention will be the maintenance of morale and personal hygiene in extended missions andwill therefore contributein a, highdegree' to the overall comfort of the astronaut. The device'iis a small, smooth casing whose assembled length is of disorder of 3%inches. It is provided with a hollow stud attachable to the vacuum source of" the space cabin, so that an airflo'wiis established through the casing. The whisker-particles are carried on the air current, kept in motion by an agitator and finally are trapped and DESCRIPTION oETIIE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring more in detail to FIG-1,1 of the drawing, a shaving headassembly l0.is secured to a housing member 12. The

- shaving head, shown in front elevation in FIG. 2, may be of the NORELCO-type, but the invention is not thus limited. The NORELCO-type shaving head is provided with a stationary comb element 15 which guides the beard through to the rotating cutting element 14. The cutting element 14 is provided with small cutting blades 13.1The'NQRELCO-type shaving head 15 is secured into a housingll' by retaining spider 16, which hasa bushing 19, therein, anda retainer lock ring 18. As shown in the preferred model, the elements 16 and 18 have 'threadedengagement with 'an internally threaded portion of the housingll. The shaving head '10 of FIGS. land 3 and the replacable massage unit 20 of FIG. '2 are shown as attachableto the device by mating screw threads 21. Other well-known.

engaging devices may be substituted such' as, for exarnple, a

cam lock. A rotor 22' is joumaled at 28 in the base 30 and rotates by the aid of vanes 32 under the force of the air current created by attachment of the nozzle 34 to a vacuumsource,

. which is standard cabin equipment. The vanes are keyed into radial slots located in the rotor 22 and are spring biased'by springs 31 to the inner periphery of housing member 12. An agitator 36 is press tit mounted on the rotor shaft 38 and rotates with the rotor. The whisker particles are thus kept in motion. The agitator shaft 40 is j'ournaled in bushing 19, and is flattened at its end for keying toa complementary opening in the element 14 to rotate the shaving edges 13 behind the comb I The housing 12 is secured tothe base 30 by any expedientmeans. ln the modelshown, axial recesses are provided in the housing wall 12 which accommodate bolts 44 (only one of which is shown). I The base 30 has a duct 46 communicating with a filter 48 which itself communicates with whisker retaining chamber SI. A hollow filter base 50 communicates with the rotor chamber through base 30 by means of a hollow tube 55. Chamber 5! traps and retains the beardpart-icleswhich are kept from the rotor by means of filter 48 which may be of very line wire mesh, e.g. 200 mesh. Any filtered material which would perform the function would be acceptable. Base 30 and hollow filter base 50 are separated from each other to l'omi the chamber 5 The tapered housing 52 threaded to element 30 and fixedly secured by any suitable means to filter base 50 MODEOF OPERATION Upon attachment of a vacuum source to tubular nozzle 34, air enters through the comb elementv l5 andit is agitated by means of agitator 36 Whiskers which are cut off and are in the airstream then go through base 57 in housing 12 through base 30 and into whisker retaining chamber 51. Filter element 48 keeps the whisker particles from further travel; however, air enters the rotor chamber through passageway 46 in base 30 to flow by vanes 32, thereby causing rotation of rotor 22 which in turn drives agitator 36 and element 14. Although the vanes are shown parallel to the axis of the rotor they may be canted to provide greater efficiency. Air leaves the rotor chamber-via tube 55 into the hollow filter base 50. Control of the vacuum is achieved by means of threadedelement 56 which has attached thereto a valve element 58 constrained between guides 59.

Although the invention hasibeen'described with reference to a particular embodiment, lit-1 will be understood to those skilled in the art that the invention is capable of a variety of alternative embodiments withinthe spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A vacuum shaver for providing-grooming means for men in space flight under zero gravity conditions, said shaver com prising, an enclosing casing, a shaving head operatively attached to one end of said casing-rotatable cutting means in engagement with said a shaving head for removing beard growth, a vacuum propelled rotor in said casing for rotating said cutting means, agitating means'connected to said rotor for rotation therewithjto maintain the removed beard growth particles in a condition of motion, a whisker retaining chamber in said casing for collecting and retaining the beard particles removed during the shaving operation, and means for attachment to a vacuum source at the other end of said casing 'for providing airflow, said airflow operating to propel the moving beard particles into said whisker retaining chamber to .prevent the escape of the particles into the atmosphere of the spacecraft at zero gravity condition thereby preventing possible damage to equipment and danger to personnel. 

1. A vacuum shaver for providing grooming means for men in space flight under zero gravity conditions, said shaver comprising, an enclosing casing, a shaving head operatively attached to one end of said casing, rotatable cutting means in engagement with said shaving head for removing beard growth, a vacuum propelled rotor in said casing for rotating said cutting means, agitating means connected to said rotor for rotation therewith to maintain the removed beard growth particles in a condition of motion, a whisker retaining chamber in said casing for collecting and retaining the beard particles removed during the shaving operation, and means for attachment to a vacuum source at the other end of said casing for providing airflow, said airflow operating to propel the moving beard particles into said whisker retaining chamber to prevent the escape of the particles into the atmosphere of the spacecraft at zero gravity condition thereby preventing possible damage to equipment and danger to personnel. 